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As most of you already know there is no shortage of premium-priced red wine from the Okanagan Valley, in fact I’d say the majority of the better examples come in above the $40 mark, and in my mind anything over $40 can be considered premium. The question then is a simple one; are they worth it? There was a time, not so long ago, when I’d have said that most are not but the region has matured and there are now some serious reds to consider. I should add that in the white wine realm I believe that Canada can compete on a world scale but reds are another matter, especially for late ripening varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon (most notably). As we are getting closer to festive season I thought I would suggest a few serious wines from the valley that deliver the goods.

Discover the wineries of the Okanagan. With 44 wineries within a 20-minute drive of Penticton, you’ll have plenty to choose from. By the end of the day, you will be swirling, sniffing and sipping like a pro.

CALGARY - Albertans are increasingly turning to wine as a beverage of preference and that’s good news for the industry in British Columbia. Although beer remains the top choice for Albertans with just over $1 billion in sales in 2013, wine sales overall jumped by 11 per cent last year - the highest hike in the country and more than double the national average - to $614.2 million, according to Statistics Canada.

It was brought to my attention by a reader that we have recommended rose and white wines for the hot summer months but they felt these wines did not have enough body and flavour profile to accompany things like spicy grilled ribs or a cut of prime rib or lamb, for example. The point is well taken; I poured some rose alongside barbecued ribs recently because I could not face a big red wine when it was 30C outside, but the wine fell well short as a match for the meat.

An Okanagan Valley-based winery has brought a couple of special bottles to Alberta for the Calgary Stampede. The bottles, from Serendipity Winery near Naramata, B.C., feature a man and woman wearing white cowboys hats similar to the Smithbilts Calgary is known for.

Last year’s Stampede 101 was a lesson in resiliency, determination and teamwork as officials and volunteers worked endless hours to get the grounds into shape just two weeks after June’s devastating floods. To their credit, the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth did indeed go on.

The northern Okanagan has all three of the requisite “Ws” of tourism and second-home ownership that Albertans tend to seek: Wine, weather and water. Stretching from Vernon south through Peachland, the area also offers some of B.C.’s best golf courses, two of its biggest and best-known ski resorts (Vernon’s Silver Star and Kelowna’s Big White), along with popular sandy beaches on warm-water lakes. Then there’s the largest wellness resort in Canada, Sparkling Hill, which is festooned with 3.5 million Swarovski crystals worth $10 million and overlooks Lake Okanagan near Vernon. There’s a robust selection of well-known, award-winning wineries, many of them with restaurants overlooking spectacular lake vistas.

“We’re like the lettuce and tomato in between the meaty sandwich of The Bison and Saltlik,” says Mark Gyles of his restaurant’s new location on Banff’s Bear Street. Nourish, Banff’s much-loved and — lauded — vegetarian restaurant, has been around for more than nine years, but only since last July in Bison Courtyard at 211 Bear Str. (403-760-3933).

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